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"What the hell. Everybody ends up dead. It's just a matter of when." And with that soundbite, 15 years into their officially recorded career, Canada's Kataklysm, original purveyors of the 'Northern Hyperblast,' are back with a new album in 2008. Prevail offers much of what made fans of Kataklysm go crazy in the first place - the blistering riffs, strong vocals, killer drumming, and some originality in the somewhat stale genre of Death Metal. Over the band's last few albums some sonic maturation has occurred and Prevail can truly be called their most accessible effort. The titular album opener even incorporates plain ol' Classic Metal sounding guitar work while other tracks offer some groove to go with the blastbeats.
Another "K" band comes to mind when listening to some of this record, and that is Konkhra, at least musically speaking. A nod to Goatwhore is also discernible, if not intentional (see "The Vultures are Watching"). The nearest sonic comparison, however, may actually be Devildriver. In recent times this is of little consequence. However, once upon a time this undoubtedly would have made vocalist Maurizio Iacono's blood boil. After all, he once bristled at having lost a tour slot to Devildriver because he felt they were a bunch of nobodies. That said, Prevail is a modern slab of extreme music not terribly different from Devildriver's most recent output, though the latter does not claim to be Death Metal merchants and Kataklysm clearly are.
Guest appearances include Pat O'Brien (Cannibal Corpse, ex-Nevermore), Dave Linsk (Overkill), and producer Jason Suecof (Capharnaum and producer of countless modern metal acts). Also worth noting is that the album closer is a sort of sonic sequel to "Renaissance," which wrapped up 2000's The Prophecy (Stigmata Of The Immaculate). "The Last Effort (Renaissance II)" is a magnificent instrumental composition that any guitar lover should embrace. Outstanding tracks include those already mentioned and "Blood in Heaven." Solid. Bonus round: the "Heartbeast" character - Kataklysm's "Eddie" - adorns the album artwork again.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Prevail |
| 2. Taking the World by Storm |
| 3. The Chains of Power |
| 4. As Death Lingers |
| 5. Blood in Heaven |
| 6. To the Throne of Sorrow |
| 7. Breathe to Dominate |
| 8. Tear Down the Kingdom |
| 9. The Vultures Are Watching |
| 10. The Last Effort (Renaissance II) |
: 44:22
| Buy other Kataklysm albums |
